I'd like to sequester myself under a rock until this whole "sequester" thing blows over if for no other reason than sequester isn't a noun and thus the whole sequester thing is not grammatically correct. I digress, however. So how's the sequester affecting you? Not at all you say? Don't feel alone, as plenty of Americans won't see any impact on the $85 billion in cuts which is about 2.5 percent of the federal budget. While that seems like small potatoes, the cuts were indiscriminate so some good programs along with some bad programs will start to see the ax. The president has been traveling around the country to explain how bad things will be under sequester, while plenty of folks in the GOP seem to be OK with any and all cuts -- just as long as the budget gets cut, they are fine with it. I'm surprised there hasn't been more gnashing and wailing over the defense budget but I'm sure that will come as workers get cut back in the home district.

A family that recently moved from Troy to Pellston during the month of November lost nearly all of its belongings in a Nov. 21 garage/loft fire. According to Chris Rybinski, assistant fire chief for the Pellston Fire Department, the fire began around 7 p.m. at 3415 Skiba Road in Center Township. Rybinski said three family friends were up for hunting season and staying in the loft of the garage, which belonged to 79-year-old Roberta Skiba, but was being occupied by her son, Michael Skiba.

Police Blotter Michigan State Police Gaylord Post ? Investigators received a complaint from Paul Yeager, of Gaylord, who reported someone had broken into his residence on Brentwood Drive, sometime between March 26 and Monday. According to reports, a locked garage door was found open and a garage window had been forced open. Yeager reportedly stated to investigators it did not appear that anything was missing from the house or garage. An estimate of $100 in damages was reported to a wooden garage door.

Thursday, May 29 Hmm? now that my ride home departs later than I am used to working, I feel trapped here at work! I do like the luxury in the morning of not having to worry if the garage door opens all the way before backing into it (I did this this winter) or if the skunks, turkeys, fox and deer are out of the way (one or more of these critters are a daily hazard). My "driver" gets me here every morning and has, without complaining, used his time to catch up on reading down at the Petoskey waterfront.

Otsego County Sheriff's Dept. A 44-year-old Gaylord man was arrested Tuesday evening after deputies received a complaint that he had assaulted his niece and threatened to shoot her cat. The man allegedly got into an argument with his niece concerning a homework assignment, threatening her cat and retrieving a rifle from his bedroom. The girl retreated to her bedroom where he entered and allegedly threw her to the floor before her mother interceded. Authorities found the man asleep in bed when they arrived later.

?During the extreme cold Michigan has been experiencing recently, there is increased temptation to start your vehicle and go back inside to let it warm up,? said Sheriff George T. Lasater. ?The problem is that crooks may target people who do this.? Crooks have been known to ?patrol? neighborhoods looking for unoccupied running vehicles. They may work in teams, with one person driving the car and the passenger prepared to jump out when an unattended, running vehicle is spotted. Some thieves target only unlocked cars, but others will break out a window, if necessary.

The window also allowed me to watch vehicles pulling into the garage door to the printing press. All of the paper used for printing four weekly papers plus a few shoppers would be dropped off without fail right inside the garage doors. Considering all the spools of paper right at the door, and the gas station, this would be a bad place for a fire. But that's exactly what happened. One afternoon, as my officemate and I were mocking a misspelling on the gas station sign, we noticed an old truck driven by two teens just happened to stall right outside the window.

There’s a story in ancient mythology about a supernatural bird known as a phoenix. As the legend goes, the phoenix — covered in a brilliant gold plumage — lives for a thousand years. At the end of its life, it builds a nest of twigs, ignites it and throws itself into the flames of its own funeral pyre. Out of the ashes rises a young phoenix, clad in fresh gold feathers, ready to live for another thousand years. Who would’ve thought a boat could have the same life cycle? Two thousand years ago I sat on the concrete floor of the garage, rolling a toy car around tool boxes and paint cans.

Much, if not all, of their possessions were destroyed in the quick-spreading fires, and essentially two anguished families this weekend are starting from scratch. On Tuesday, a house Daryl Pellegrini had been renovating in Elmira was destroyed in a fire that started shortly after 2 a.m. He was planning to move his family into the house in a matter of weeks. The house was not insured. The latest tragedy occurred Thursday at the home of Daniel and Mary Dingee at 181 Trillium Trail (Arbutus Beach Highlands)

Otsego County Sheriff?s Dept. Larceny of coins from arcade games ? Deputies responded to a complaint Wednesday from Treetops Resort Inn on Wilkinson Road in Dover Township for a report of damage to four arcade games. According to investigators, when they interviewed Treetops security guards at the scene they reported the larceny occurred sometime between Tuesday around 11:10 p.m. and Wednesday, around 2:45 p.m. They believed between $800 and $1,000 in quarters had been taken from four games located in the game room.

I'd like to sequester myself under a rock until this whole "sequester" thing blows over if for no other reason than sequester isn't a noun and thus the whole sequester thing is not grammatically correct. I digress, however. So how's the sequester affecting you? Not at all you say? Don't feel alone, as plenty of Americans won't see any impact on the $85 billion in cuts which is about 2.5 percent of the federal budget. While that seems like small potatoes, the cuts were indiscriminate so some good programs along with some bad programs will start to see the ax. The president has been traveling around the country to explain how bad things will be under sequester, while plenty of folks in the GOP seem to be OK with any and all cuts -- just as long as the budget gets cut, they are fine with it. I'm surprised there hasn't been more gnashing and wailing over the defense budget but I'm sure that will come as workers get cut back in the home district.

There’s a story in ancient mythology about a supernatural bird known as a phoenix. As the legend goes, the phoenix — covered in a brilliant gold plumage — lives for a thousand years. At the end of its life, it builds a nest of twigs, ignites it and throws itself into the flames of its own funeral pyre. Out of the ashes rises a young phoenix, clad in fresh gold feathers, ready to live for another thousand years. Who would’ve thought a boat could have the same life cycle? Two thousand years ago I sat on the concrete floor of the garage, rolling a toy car around tool boxes and paint cans.

A family that recently moved from Troy to Pellston during the month of November lost nearly all of its belongings in a Nov. 21 garage/loft fire. According to Chris Rybinski, assistant fire chief for the Pellston Fire Department, the fire began around 7 p.m. at 3415 Skiba Road in Center Township. Rybinski said three family friends were up for hunting season and staying in the loft of the garage, which belonged to 79-year-old Roberta Skiba, but was being occupied by her son, Michael Skiba.

Thursday, May 29 Hmm? now that my ride home departs later than I am used to working, I feel trapped here at work! I do like the luxury in the morning of not having to worry if the garage door opens all the way before backing into it (I did this this winter) or if the skunks, turkeys, fox and deer are out of the way (one or more of these critters are a daily hazard). My "driver" gets me here every morning and has, without complaining, used his time to catch up on reading down at the Petoskey waterfront.

?During the extreme cold Michigan has been experiencing recently, there is increased temptation to start your vehicle and go back inside to let it warm up,? said Sheriff George T. Lasater. ?The problem is that crooks may target people who do this.? Crooks have been known to ?patrol? neighborhoods looking for unoccupied running vehicles. They may work in teams, with one person driving the car and the passenger prepared to jump out when an unattended, running vehicle is spotted. Some thieves target only unlocked cars, but others will break out a window, if necessary.

Otsego County Sheriff?s Dept. Larceny of coins from arcade games ? Deputies responded to a complaint Wednesday from Treetops Resort Inn on Wilkinson Road in Dover Township for a report of damage to four arcade games. According to investigators, when they interviewed Treetops security guards at the scene they reported the larceny occurred sometime between Tuesday around 11:10 p.m. and Wednesday, around 2:45 p.m. They believed between $800 and $1,000 in quarters had been taken from four games located in the game room.

Police Blotter Michigan State Police Gaylord Post ? Investigators received a complaint from Paul Yeager, of Gaylord, who reported someone had broken into his residence on Brentwood Drive, sometime between March 26 and Monday. According to reports, a locked garage door was found open and a garage window had been forced open. Yeager reportedly stated to investigators it did not appear that anything was missing from the house or garage. An estimate of $100 in damages was reported to a wooden garage door.

Otsego County Sheriff's Dept. A 44-year-old Gaylord man was arrested Tuesday evening after deputies received a complaint that he had assaulted his niece and threatened to shoot her cat. The man allegedly got into an argument with his niece concerning a homework assignment, threatening her cat and retrieving a rifle from his bedroom. The girl retreated to her bedroom where he entered and allegedly threw her to the floor before her mother interceded. Authorities found the man asleep in bed when they arrived later.

The window also allowed me to watch vehicles pulling into the garage door to the printing press. All of the paper used for printing four weekly papers plus a few shoppers would be dropped off without fail right inside the garage doors. Considering all the spools of paper right at the door, and the gas station, this would be a bad place for a fire. But that's exactly what happened. One afternoon, as my officemate and I were mocking a misspelling on the gas station sign, we noticed an old truck driven by two teens just happened to stall right outside the window.

Much, if not all, of their possessions were destroyed in the quick-spreading fires, and essentially two anguished families this weekend are starting from scratch. On Tuesday, a house Daryl Pellegrini had been renovating in Elmira was destroyed in a fire that started shortly after 2 a.m. He was planning to move his family into the house in a matter of weeks. The house was not insured. The latest tragedy occurred Thursday at the home of Daniel and Mary Dingee at 181 Trillium Trail (Arbutus Beach Highlands)